058: What are the benefits of outdoor play?

This is the second in our extended series of episodes on children’s play.  We kicked off last week with a look at the benefits of play in general for children, and now we’re going to take a more specific look at the benefits of outdoor play.  Really, if someone could bottle up and sell outdoor play they’d make a killing, because it’s hard to imagine something children can do that benefits them more than this.   This episode also tees up our conversation, which will be an interview with Dr. Scott Sampson on his book How To Raise A Wild Child, which gives TONS of practical suggestions for getting outdoors with children.   Other episodes referenced in this show How to scaffold children’s learning to help them succeed Is a Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool right for my child? Understanding the AAP’s new screen time guidelines Raising your child in a digital world   Jump to highlights 00:38 Introduction to this episode's topic: outdoor play, as part of a broader series on play 04:02 Reframing nature as part of everyday life, and acknowledging colonialism and cultural appropriation in this territory 06:12 The decline in children's outdoor and unsupervised time, from Richard Louv's research to modern statistics 09:47 The perception of stranger danger versus the actual, much rarer risks children face outdoors 14:23 How technology and screen-based toys differ from natural play in transparency, challenge, and accessibility 19:52 Outdoor play's link to creativity and executive function, and why the research is hard to pin down 23:07 Social and emotional benefits: how outdoor spaces give children more control and agency than adult-run indoor environments 29:50 A New Zealand preschool study comparing hands-off versus hands-on teacher approaches to outdoor time   References Anderson, L. 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